Franco Ibarra is a mystery of a player. Still just setting sail on his professional career with 2600 minutes played over four seasons, Ibarra is extremely green — something we must keep in mind when projecting his future long term. But unfortunately for him, he came to Atlanta United on one of the league’s newly-implemented U-22 designations, which perhaps placed outsize importance on his current ability and what he could offer the team on the field immediately.
To be honest, the initial impressions hit the mark. He was (and perhaps still is) a combative midfielder that had him among the tops in the league in many defensive categories on a per-game basis after his first year in MLS in 2021.